While many of the changes present in betas of Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard have been discussed at length by Apple followers, one tester has taken to the web with observations on some of the more subtle refinements spread through the most recent build of the next-gen operating system.

AppleInsider reader inewton1974 pointed us to an annotated Flickr album of nearly four dozen Snow Leopard screenshots he published a bit earlier in the week. He begins by noting that the software's setup assistant will now warn users if they don't supply a password hint and claims that QuickLook capabilities have been built into universal Open and Save dialog windows.

Another interesting discovery is Apple's use of transition effects within the new Cocoa-based Finder. In particular, the Clean Up command for tidying Finder windows reportedly "slides" icons into place instead of shifting them abruptly. This is described as a "a neat visual effect," and several others similar to it are likely to follow. The Finder also present an slider control for resizing icons in the lower right-hand corner of windows displayed in icon mode, as can be seen in the first screenshot below.

Additionally, it's noted that a QuickTime preference pane is absent from Snow Leopard, as are any preferences from within the QuickTime X Player itself, leading to renewed speculation that Apple may do away with its premium QuickTime Pro offering entirely. A series of screenshots with inewton1974's observations follows:

Updates to the Date & Time preference pane will let Snow Leopard users display the time and date (or day of the week) side-by-side in the Mac OS X menubar:

Time Zone preferences have also seen an overhaul. Each time zone is highlighted as a user moves their mouse cursor across the map. And as previously note, users will have the option to have their time zone updated automatically with help of Snow Leopard's new Core Location framework.

Users who prefer not to have their Mac's location identified via Core Location can switch the option off via the general security preferences. The same preference pane also introduce a handy new feature that will let users adjust the time interval between when their Mac goes to sleep (or activates a screen saver) and when their password will be required to regain access.

For instance, you could set your screen to dim after 10 minutes of inactivity but not lock down the system and require a password prompt for 45 minutes. In current versions of the Mac OS, there's no separation of these features.

iCal now has account preferences for adding Microsoft Exchange accounts, per Apple's plans to build support for the messaging software into Mac OS X as it has done on the iPhone.

The new Player software will also let users upload movie files to YouTube or their Mobile Me accounts:

The same software also provides both basic video and audio editing (trimming):

In Snow Leopard, Software Update's "Installed Updates" tab has been renamed "Installed Software," possibly foreshadowing a move by Apple to provide new software downloads via the built-in mechanism rather than just updates:

A handful of changes are also in store for Snow Leopards Preferences, namely a separation of the Keyboard & Mouse preferences, a relocation of Bluetooth preferences from "Hardware" to a new section called "Internet & Wireless," and a renaming of the "International" preferences to "Language & Text."

This new "Language and Text" preference pane paves the way for the previously reported global text substitution feature and setting individual input sources for each document that's open:

Split Terminal options also appear to be new:

Automator's welcome dialog has been re-tooled. Instead of picking the kind of task to perform as a template, users now choose what kind of workflow they want to make. An option to create a system "Service" also stands out:

The split terminal reminds me of a feature I have been wanting for a long time: the split Finder Window.

Whenever I want to move files, I have to open up a second Finder window and navigate to the destination folder. I have to position this window carefully so I can see the file in the first window I want to move/copy.

It would be so cool if you can split one Finder window into an upper and lower pane where each pane is individually navigable. (It could be left/right in icon view, if the user prefers).

I'm hoping Snow Leopard will let you decide what columns are available for viewing when Spotlight results are shown. For instance, I like to look at file sizes to see which movies are in the large format and which are compressed, smaller ones.

What I'd rather see is Finder tabs. It seems like such an easy and obvious implementation. You could navigate to a folder, command-click (or double-click) or command-T (or whatever), to open it in a new tab OR you could simply command-T for a new tab and start navigating, then go back to the other tab where you have the file for transfer, then drop it on the other tab or hold over the other tab to switch. This would be nice.

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All very interesting. I still want to feel how fast Snow Leopard actually runs on my first gen Mac Pro though. Any chance of notable improvement?

I want to know this too. Any real noticeable improvement?

I'm surprised that so few apps look like they are 64-bit at this point. You'd think most of the apps would have been updated by now.

The "Installed Software" might also be a hint at some sort of uninstaller built into OS X?

Doubtful and unnecessary. Drag the App to the trash and it is uninstalled. If you want to go further, go to your Library folder and trash the pref files in Preferences and Application Support (if any present). You don't need an uninstaller like Windows does.

The split terminal reminds me of a feature I have been wanting for a long time: the split Finder Window.

Whenever I want to move files, I have to open up a second Finder window and navigate to the destination folder. I have to position this window carefully so I can see the file in the first window I want to move/copy.

It would be so cool if you can split one Finder window into an upper and lower pane where each pane is individually navigable. (It could be left/right in icon view, if the user prefers).

I'm hoping Snow Leopard will let you decide what columns are available for viewing when Spotlight results are shown. For instance, I like to look at file sizes to see which movies are in the large format and which are compressed, smaller ones.

This is part of the old debate about spatial navigation vs. browser/file-tree navigation.

Seeing change in date & time - I wonder if they've improved the timekeeping? A while ago the 'set time now' went away, and the current logic is the hidden mystery logic that has your computer "Check with the timeserver as often as you need to in order to keep decent time". In 10.4.11 this doesn't really work, as my computer was way off in timekeeping (almost a full minute off). Not sure if 10.5 keeps better time, but with the other date & time changes in 10.6, I'm curious if they've made the mac a better clock...

They've finally got rid of the FUGLY recycled paper folders of Leopard and have gone back to their Jaguar transluscent roots. Thank you , thank you.
Many may think these look like Vista but we are back to the jellies.

This new "Language and Text" preference pane paves the way for the previously reported global text substitution feature and setting individual input sources for each document that's open

I still think that this will only be useful if there is either a context menu item for defining options, or a very large list of already-defined options, (like in MS word). I don't want to have to open system preferences whenever I want to add something.

So with that, if Apple denies copyright screen recording, then that delegates software like SnapzProX to being only needed for illegal purposes, instead of dual use (legal and illegal)

Sort of like a baseball bat, take away the game of baseball and the only thing a baseball bat is good for is no good. (why would you need such a heavy club for anyway? right?)

So I'm wondering now that Apple will be essentially controlling the screen/audio recording on OS X with their own product, will this open the door for the MIAA/RIAA to go after third party OS X companies that offer a total recording package?

Its like Apple is stepping into these grey areas in order to police things, deny cool third party companies a income source. First Time Machine to thwart people from cloning their boot drives (the best boot drive backup method), now screen/audio recording to thwart people from making funny alterations to popular videos.

Where will this slow creep of control end?

The danger is that we sleepwalk into a world where cabals of corporations control not only the mainstream devices and the software on them, but also the entire ecosystem of online services around...

They've finally got rid of the FUGLY recycled paper folders of Leopard and have gone back to their Jaguar transluscent roots. Thank you , thank you.
Many may think these look like Vista but we are back to the jellies.

What do you mean?
Leopard looks exactly the same as SL does in the picture...

What do you mean?
Leopard looks exactly the same as SL does in the picture...

Look very closely at an actual Leopard folder and you will see recycled specles in the forlder blue itself. Maybe I'm not seeing it here at work ( I am on a PC- uggh) but these screen shots as viewed here look different for folders than on my Macs at home. Can you verify these recycled specs in the folders themselves? Thanks.

Updated - this is really funny. These screen shots actually look Vista-ish when viewed/rendered on a PC! I have to confirm this myself when I get home later. So funny.

Yes ...actually you do. Loading 32-bit apps in an otherwise 64-bit system means that you now need to load all 32-bit framework stacks. It's just easier to compile even the smallest app for 64-bit and keep your system clean.

Look very closely at an actual Leopard folder and you will see recycled specles in the forlder blue itself. Maybe I'm not seeing it here at work ( I am on a PC- uggh) but these screen shots as viewed here look different for folders than on my Macs at home. Can you verify these recycled specs in the folders themselves? Thanks.

Updated - this is really funny. These screen shots actually look Vista-ish when viewed/rendered on a PC! I have to confirm this myself when I get home later. So funny.

Whenever I want to move files, I have to open up a second Finder window and navigate to the destination folder. I have to position this window carefully so I can see the file in the first window I want to move/copy.

So with that, if Apple denies copyright screen recording, then that delegates software like SnapzProX to being only needed for illegal purposes, instead of dual use (legal and illegal)

Sort of like a baseball bat, take away the game of baseball and the only thing a baseball bat is good for is no good. (why would you need such a heavy club for anyway? right?)

So I'm wondering now that Apple will be essentially controlling the screen/audio recording on OS X with their own product, will this open the door for the MIAA/RIAA to go after third party OS X companies that offer a total recording package?

Its like Apple is stepping into these grey areas in order to police things, deny cool third party companies a income source. First Time Machine to thwart people from cloning their boot drives (the best boot drive backup method), now screen/audio recording to thwart people from making funny alterations to popular videos.

Where will this slow creep of control end?

Grab already blocks out DVD Player, what makes you think that screen recording won't do the same? However, Apple can't make the silly assumption that content in QuickTime should be protected, since the standalone QuickTime Player refuses to play DRMed files.

Have there been any major changes in either iChat or Mail? or what about smaller apps like Textedit, calculator, or photobooth?

Each of those that you mentioned do not have any functional changes that I can see in this build. Many preferences might have small wording changes or may have been re-arranged slightly, but the apps all function the same way.

Also, I would like to point out that any major changes to end-user-facing apps are unlikely at this point, but if they are out there, they would be waiting to show those features off at WWDC anyway. Developer Previews generally only include changes to the core of the OS or features that developers need to know about to get their apps to work with the new OS version. This has been true for the past several versions of OS X.

However, I do expect to see Snow Leopard include a major update to the OS X interface. The entire OS interface will look roughly the same, but window styles, etc. will be similar to the new interface in QuickTime X from what I'm hearing - a strong emphasis on black, glossy, transparency, and HUD styles. This is the "Marble" interface we have heard so much about. I also expect this to be revealed at WWDC.

I would like to have seem iTunes go 64-bit. I get the feeling that iTunes hasn't been touched and it's just getting more bloated with every release. iTunes going Cocoa should have been one of the first things that they should have done along with the Finder.

Sure, if you fiddle around with the correct settings on the International preference pane, copying and pasting from the custom date dialog to the custom time dialog. Brilliant! The point is, in Snow Leopard, it's now a simple, visible control located where it ought to be -- in the Date/Time preference pane.